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Monday, October 31, 2011

Restoration: Rescue Work

The first time you heard about trafficking didn't you just want to go straight to the streets of the nearest big city and rescue kids from their pimps? Yeah...I would fall asleep at night thinking about kicking gangsta tail. But don't do it. Just...don't.

Rescue work is dangerous. While we do still have unjust laws regarding human trafficking, things are getting better and the police force is slowly beginning to understand the problem. If you see an instance of what appears to be human trafficking, do not confront the supposed trafficker on your own. Observe what's going on and get as much information as possible: make, model, and license plate of any car being used by the potential trafficker, approximate age, race, height, and build of the traffickers and victims, along with any apparent johns. Then call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1.888.3737.888. Describe to them what you see and hear and they will tell you what steps to take next. Remember that traffickers do not work alone - going up against a guy who looks like a pimp is a serious issue, because that guy has 10 more guys behind him. If you try to take him out yourself you're liable to end up hospitalized or dead. Call the authorities; do not - DO NOT - try to handle it yourself.

If you like the thrill of the chase and putting yourself in situations where you could end up dead, then consider joining the police force where you can be on the front lines of this kind of work. Also get in contact with your state or county Human Trafficking Task Force and find out what you can do to be more actively involved in rescue missions. But do not, do not, do not try to go out there yourself and do it alone. The best way for you to be involved in rescuing trafficked kids is to memorize the National Hotline (again, 1.888.3737.888) and be willing to use it if you ever see a potential instance of human trafficking.